The different faces of a Rocket
by Kamen Rider Cross
Summary: After an encounter with Giovanni, ex-Pokémon Trainer Kenta Nogami is offered a chance to be a stronger Pokémon Trainer than he once was. However, it wasn't the kind of Trainer that Kenta thought it was. What devious plans does Giovanni have involving the boy? How will the fate of Kanto be affected?
1. Chapter 1: Arrival in Kanto

**Chapter 1: Arrival in Kanto**

 **Disclaimer: I do not own Pokémon but I own my OCs in this story.**

* * *

In the bustling city of Viridian, people were as busy as they usually are. All around, vehicles cruised through the streets, either in a hurry or at their own pace. People were running all over the place, people who were late for work.

One of the vehicles on the road, a moving truck, had stopped by a building that was towered by the rest of the others. The building, which stood at 10 stories, was an apartment building.

From the moving truck, a pair of men, who both had well-built bodies, stepped out of the vehicle and they reached for their pockets. Both of the men pulled out similar sphere-like devices, which had upper-red halves and lower-white halves. In the middle of the devices was a white button that was surrounded by a black outline that spread along the device, where the red and white halves met. These devices were known as Pokéballs.

The men tapped the button on the Pokéballs, causing them to enlarge to fit in their hands and tossed the devices, causing them to split open as a pair of bright lights emerged from the Pokéballs. The bright lights hovered above the ground for a moment before they began taking a form of two bipedal, humanoid figures, a pair of Machoke.

One of the men waved to the two creatures and spoke in a deep voice. "Machoke! Let's get the furniture to the apartment! The faster we finish, the faster we can head to the clubs!"

The Machoke nodded to the man and all four of them made their way to the back of the truck, where they unlocked it and proceeded to bring out the various furniture out of it.

As they did so, a blonde-haired woman, who donned an emerald-green dress with a purse in her hands, got out of the truck's opened side door and she brought her hand up to her hair, pushing it aside as she smiled. Her eyes glimmered with excitement as she took a long look at the apartment building. She immediately turned her head around and spoke in a gentle voice. "Kenta, sweetie, come take a look at where we'll be living from now on."

Seconds passed and a 15 year-old, similarly blond-haired boy stepped out from the truck. The boy, Kenta, donned a blue shirt with sleeves reaching his wrists, a pair of shorts and running shoes. In his hands was a small gray box which seemed to be locked. Kenta turned to his mother and sighed. "So why did we move here again?"

"Your father moved us here because he thought Kanto will be less stressful for you," his mother replied as she placed an arm around his shoulder. "Personally, I agree with him. Hoenn was a tough place for you to become a Pokémon Trainer."

"I thought I told you that I wasn't going to be a Trainer anymore," Kenta muttered, much to his mother's amusement.

"And it's time for you to grow out of your fear and move on," she said. "You can't stay afraid of a Trainer's life, Kenta."

Just then, one of the men from before approached them and he waved to Kenta's mother with a smile. "Well, Annie, the Machoke are currently placing all of your furniture in place at the apartment. If you'd want, you can head in there right now to take a look."

Kenta's mother, now known as Annie, smiled back to the man and she replied. "Thanks for bringing our things here for free, Michael. I wasn't certain that we would be able to find a good moving company to help us bring our things here and I'm grateful for what you've done for me and my son."

Michael chuckled. "Well, there's no need for that, Annie. You're just fortunate that I moved to Kanto a few years before you and little Kenta did. Besides, if it wasn't for Hisashi back in Hoenn, I wouldn't even be around at all!"

Annie nodded and she placed her hands on Kenta's shoulders as she whispered into his ear. "Go check out the apartment, Kenta. Go let the Pokémon out as well. They need some fresh air now that we're off the plane."

Nodding to his mother, Kenta picked up the three Pokéballs that Annie had pulled out from her purse. He quickly made his way into the building and he climbed the flights of stairs, making his way to the fifth floor. Once he had reached it, he walked down the corridor, where he spotted an opened door.

He approached it and took a quick peek at the apartment. The furniture that he and his mother had brought from the Hoenn region were all being allocated to the spots where his mother had requested by the Machoke and Michael's coworker. Kenta glanced around at the living room and smiled. The place seemed almost like the one he used to live in back in Hoenn. The only difference now was that it was much smaller.

As he walked into the apartment, Michael's colleague noticed him and gave Kenta a heartwarming smile. "Do you like the place, kid? I heard from Michael that your father had went through a lot to get it for you and your mother."

Kenta nodded. "Yes, this place is alright."

Michael's colleague laughed as the Machoke finished aligning the beds in the different rooms. The two Superpower Pokémon stepped out of the room and they grunted to Michael's colleague who nodded to them. "Alright then, head back to the truck. Can't wait to get wasted!" He turned to Kenta for one last time and gently patted the boy's head. "Welcome to Kanto, kid."

Once the Machoke and the man left, Kenta placed the box in his hand down on the table in front of the couch and he tapped the buttons on the three Pokéballs, causing the capsules to enlarge and to split open as bright lights emerged from them.

The bright lights began taking forms. The one on the left had a small figure that was bird-like, the one in the middle was quadruped with a tail swinging at its back and on the right, the figure was levitating in the air with a cloth-like body.

When the glow on the three figures had faded, their forms were revealed. They were a Taillow, a Delcatty and a Shuppet.

Kenta smiled as he watched the three Pokémon curiously looked around. "Guys, this will be our new home." The three Pokémon turned to him and they all rushed to him, tackling the boy to the floor as he laughed. "It's good to see you guys out of those Pokéballs too! But can you guys please get off me? Mom's still outside with the men who helped us move our stuff here.."

The Pokémon did as they were told, getting off Kenta as he got to his feet and dusted himself off. "We're no longer on Hoenn, guys. Do you think we'll fit in?"

"Of course we will!" Annie's voice answered as she entered the apartment with bags of groceries from the moving truck, closing the door behind her. As soon as she did, the three Hoenn Pokémon approached her. Annie placed down the bags and traced her fingers along Delcatty's ear, which made her purr. She smiled at the Pokémon. "Why don't I make us something to eat? The flight here was very long, wasn't it?"

"Yeah, I'm starving," Kenta replied, earning nods of agreement from the Pokémon as Annie made her way into the kitchen with the groceries. Then, she stopped, turning her head to her son and spoke to him. "I almost forgot. Kenta, after lunch, you'll need to head to Pallet Town. Professor Oak would like to meet you."

"Professor Oak?" Kenta repeated, surprised by the name.

Professor Oak, a famous man that everyone all over the world knows of. It was thanks to this man, that many people are able to understand more about Pokémon. People would regard him as a genius, a man who would inspire many people to become Pokémon Trainers, but also a man who enjoyed poetry. However, here in Kanto, Professor Oak studied Pokémon, learning new things about them and he was also the one many young Trainers would meet to get their first Pokémon before starting their journey.

So why did the renowned professor needed to meet him? Kenta already had a Starter that he had received from the professor back in Hoenn, Professor Birch. Why?

"Your father, me and Professor Oak have met quite a long time ago. When he heard that we were coming, he wanted to meet you," continued Annie as she entered the kitchen with Shuppet following her. "So when you finish lunch, bring along your Pokémon. Professor Oak might like to meet them too."

As Shuppet helped Annie with cooking, Kenta made his way to his room, where he sighed, feeling a little sense of nostalgia. The room was almost exactly like how it was back in Hoenn. He made his way to the bed and sat down at its edge, with the locked box on his lap. Kenta reached for his pocket, where he pulled out a key from it.

He slid the key into the keyhole, turning it to the right as a 'click' sound was heard. Kenta opened the box, revealing two Pokéballs inside it. Kenta picked up the two Pokéballs and tapped the buttons, enlarging the capsules as he tossed them up in the air.

The Pokéballs split open in the air, releasing two Pokémon from it. His first Pokémon, an Absol named Semira, and a Torchic named Aedus.

Kenta smiled at the two Pokémon as they beamed at him as soon as they saw him. He picked up the two in his arms and spoke to them. "Guys, we'll be heading over to a friend of dad's after lunch. Try not to be funny, will ya? I'm talking about you, Aedus."

The Torchic squawked, "Tor! Tor!"

"You may be a Torchic, but I don't want you to set the place on fire when we get there," Kenta sighed as he lowered Aedus down and returned it to its Pokéball. Then, his attention turned to his other Pokémon, who was still in his arms. "Semira, please behave yourself for me. I know you don't like seeing other people other than our own family, but try not to do anything to hurt dad's friend, please?"

Semira gave him a blank look as she stared at him. Then, after a while, she purred, giving Kenta a quick lick on his cheek which made him chuckle. "As long as you get it, I'm okay with that." Semira was returned to her Pokéball.

As he kept the two Pokéballs back in the box, he laid down on the bed, gazing up at the ceiling as he closed his eyes. He was tired, thanks to the uncomfortable ride he had on the plane, which he found shocking that his mother didn't feel the same way. But now that he was on a bed, a soft one, he guessed that his mother wouldn't mind if he took a quick snooze.

"Taillow!"

Well, that didn't last very long.

Kenta sighed as he opened his eyes, seeing his mother's Taillow perched on his desk, where his laptop was at, complete with a few pictures of him during various events of the past. Taillow squawked at him as he flapped his wings. "Tail! Taillow!"

"What's the matter?" Kenta asked, getting off the bed and approaching the Flying Type. He immediately noticed that underneath Taillow's talons was a badge that was shaped like a rectangle with two of its corners more emphasized than the others. It was the Stone Badge that he had earned when he was twelve.

He smiled at him as Taillow placed the badge in his hand. "I must have forgotten that I left it with mom. Thanks for bringing it to me." Taillow nodded and took off towards the living room, leaving Kenta to recall his memories of the badge.

It was when he had traveled to Rustboro City back when he was still getting used to becoming a new Trainer. Of course, he has always been to Rustboro City for a simple reason, to learn. He had studied in the Pokémon Trainers' School, where he learned in the Beginner's Class. Before he even became a Trainer, he'd used to study a lot about Pokémon and had a talent for forming battle plans in his mind and on the spot. However, despite that talent, Kenta wasn't the best when it came to actually battling others. After all, not all battles could be decided based on research. When he had his first battle, he remembered how he was completely destroyed by a girl in his class by the name of Roxanne, who was the best of their batch of students.

Kenta couldn't help but chuckle at the memory. Ever since his defeat by Roxanne, he became furious about his loss, which he now regretted since he had acted immaturely back then. But Roxanne had helped him improve. After all, she was the top in the class while he was just in the average range. Thanks to her, he was able to move to the Pokémon Battle Class with her.

The instructor of the class, was of course, the Gym Leader of the Rustboro Gym.

He had his ups and downs in the class, because of his weakness in Pokémon Battles. But he wasn't at the bottom of the class either since his knowledge of Pokémon Types and Moves as well as his talent had helped him most of the time during a few battles.

Of course, none of that really helped him when he had challenged the Gym. He knew that the Gym Leader wouldn't go easy no matter what, and that was what happened. Kenta lost after a few Moves from the Gym Leader's Geodude.

Kenta remembered his struggles as well. He remembered how he had to battle the Gym constantly, only to lose every one of them, despite the numerous battle plans he had formed. He trained, yet he lost the battles all the time. Kenta had almost given up as well on becoming a Pokémon Trainer, but he, once again, was saved by Roxanne.

He recalled how she had sparred with him many times. Roxanne had remained in the school to continue her studies, by becoming the Gym Leader's protege. She, like the Gym Leader, was specialized in Rock Types and that helped Kenta to improve himself too.

After a week of practicing with her, Kenta had challenged the Gym again. This time, he was able to beat Geodude. Then came Nosepass. However, Kenta was able to overcome it, beating the Rock type with Semira's Double Team and multiple Razor Winds. He was then presented with the Stone Badge, and congratulated by the Gym Leader, who for some reason was still disappointed.

The memories of that time was one of his best as well. After all, the Stone Badge contained all of the struggles and challenges he had to face to get it. But he knew that without the guidance of his friend, Roxanne, he wouldn't even be able to get it.

However, Kenta had put his journey to a stop when he realized how dangerous and risky it was to continue being a Pokémon Trainer. When he had challenged the Dewford Gym, Semira had become critically hurt by the Gym Leader's Machoke. In fact, if it wasn't the nearby Pokémon Center, the young Absol might not have survive from the attacks that the Machoke dealt to her. He didn't want to endanger his Pokémon anymore, especially Semira, so he had to quit, moving on to live with his mother and helping her around the house until they had moved to Viridian City.

Annie had encouraged her son to become a Trainer again, but his fear of potentially risking his Pokémon's lives made him refuse every chance he could have taken. That was why he kept Aedus and Semira in their Pokéballs and locked in a box, to protect them, as he once told his mother, which she and many other people found ridiculous. Not only that, Kenta felt that his mother had forgotten how expensive it was to be a Trainer as well. Not only did he had to find food for himself and his Pokémon, he also had to have a constant amount of money on him to afford items like Pokéballs and Potions, which was the reason why he only had Semira and Aedus.

Placing the badge down, Kenta made his way back to the bed, where he picked up the box and headed out of the room, where he saw Shuppet using Psychic to place utensils on the table while Annie and Delcatty brought out the food.

"Kenta! I was going to call you out but I guess I didn't have to," Annie laughed as she placed Kenta's lunch on the table while Delcatty had placed bowls of Pokémon food on the floor for her and the other Pokémon.

When Annie had sat down, she frowned when she counted the Pokémon. Annie turned to Kenta and folded her arms. "Kenta, you do know that Aedus and Semira have to eat as well, right?"

Kenta blinked, realizing what she had said and he quickly opened the box, releasing the two Pokémon out so that they could eat as well. "You know, that silly fear of yours is really going to cause some problems one day," Annie said. His Pokémon snickered at him as they dug into their meal while Kenta sighed, picking up the utensils he had and started eating the food his mother had prepared for him.

* * *

Once lunch was done, Annie had cleared the table and made her way to the kitchen to wash up. She turned to Kenta and spoke to him. "Don't forget to be back before dark, Kenta."

"I know that, mom!" Kenta called back as he returned his Pokémon to their Pokéballs.

As soon as he place the Pokéballs in the box, he locked it up and headed out the door, closing it behind him and climbed down the stairs. He exited the building and he looked around the area. "Which way was it to Pallet Town…?"

He spotted a man walking by and Kenta ran over to him. "Excuse me, sir? Can you point me in the direction of Pallet Town?"

The man nodded, pointing in the direction behind him. "If you want to head to Pallet Town, just walk down the road and you'll come across Officer Jenny at the edge of the city. Tell her you're heading there and she'll let you go. Once you're out, just follow the trail that you'll see. It will lead you to Pallet Town."

"Is that it? Thanks for the information!" Kenta replied as he ran down the street. He couldn't help but smile when he heard him say Officer Jenny. Back in Hoenn, he had seen a few Officer Jennies running around the region. But to hear that there were more of them in Kanto made him feel nostalgic again.

He followed the man's instructions, running along the sideways as he approached the edge of the city. And just like the man had said, he saw Officer Jenny seated inside a small station.

Kenta approached the station and called out to the police officer, who got out of the station and waited for Kenta to arrive before she questioned him. "Are you heading out of Viridian City?"

Nodding, Kenta replied. "I need to head to Pallet Town. Professor Oak wants to meet me."

Officer Jenny smiled. "I see. Well, be careful out there. Some of the Wild Pokémon tend to attack people, especially Spearow, and they come in flocks. So stay vigilant, kid. You'll make it to Pallet Town in one piece if you do."

Kenta sweat dropped at her words. "Yeah…I'll keep that in mind."

"Alright then, good luck out there," Officer Jenny said, allowing him to step out of the city.

Taking a deep breath, Kenta walked down the path in front of him, following its trail as he soon arrived at a small lake, where he spotted a Magikarp leaping out of the water. He continued down the path for a couple more hours before he reached a large grass plain. He traveled down the plains where he looked around, searching for signs of a town.

After a while, he finally spotted a house up ahead. Kenta quickened his pace, coming into view of many more houses. The path expanded and he continued down it as he looked at the building that was farther away from the other houses. The building, was a house, but it stood out from the others thanks to the wind turbine it had.

Because it stood out, Kenta assumed that the professor would be there. So he made up his mind and decided to make his way towards it, passing a sign which he was relieved to see; Pallet Town. He was on the right track.

* * *

Once he had reached the town, he noticed that the people in Pallet were all relaxed, enjoying themselves as they worked in their gardens. The atmosphere around them were also completely different from what he had seen in Viridian City. In the city, people were all over the place. But here, it was calm and quiet.

 _"Why couldn't mom had gotten a house here instead?"_ Kenta thought as he approached the building with the wind turbine. He soon arrived at it, but he was greeted by a very long flight of steps which he sighed at. Without a moment to lose, he climbed it, making his way to the top.

When he did, he rang the doorbell.

"I'll be right there!" A voice answered from inside the building. Seconds later, the door opened, revealing a white-haired man in his forties, wearing a lab coat over his red shirt and brown trousers. As soon as the man saw Kenta, he couldn't help but smile. "Well, well, well. I was hoping when you would show up, Kenta. Come in."

The boy blinked as he stepped into the building. He looked around the place and was surprised to see the amount of space that was left without anything. Then, he turned to the man. "How do you know my name?"

Smiling, the man replied. "Well, you do have your father's charming looks, Kenta. I wouldn't forget a face like yours since your father and I go way back when I had traveled to Hoenn for the first time. And of course, Annie and Hisashi informed me of you every year so it was easy to know your name from them." He lifted one of his arms up and pointed to a room down the hallway. "Why don't we go and talk in my guest room?"

Kenta gave him a nod and he followed the man into the room. They sat on one of the couches and the man lifted a small teapot up, pouring a cup of tea and handing it to the boy.

"Have some tea, Kenta."

The boy accepted the tea and took a sip from it before placing the cup down. "Thanks, but I'm really just here to talk to Professor Oak. Is he around here?"

"Oh, where are my manners?" The man sighed, playfully slapping his forehead as he continued. "I am who you are looking for. I am Professor Samuel Oak. But you can just call me Professor Oak. But really, I heard that you were in the Hoenn's Pokémon Trainers' School. How have you not heard of me if you were in the Beginner's Class? I've given quite a number of lectures to the class for a long time."

Kenta's memories of the Beginner's Class flooded back into his mind once more, but he didn't remember seeing Professor Oak giving him a lecture, only Professor Birch and a few other lecturers.

"Guess you gave the class a lecture when I wasn't in it anymore," Kenta replied. "I had went up to the Pokémon Battle Class to continue my studies and it wasn't really the best time of my life either."

The man, identified as Professor Oak, gave him an understanding nod. "I know, Kenta. After all, I did say that your parents have kept me updated with your progress. Even when you've quit being a Trainer."

Hearing that last part made Kenta flinch. "It…it was the only thing I could have done to keep my Pokémon save."

"I can understand why you made that decision, Kenta. I won't judge you for that," Professor Oak replied. "After all, many Trainers before you have also quit, but they quit for different reasons. Your reason is a common one so it's understandable. In fact, I've also quit being a Trainer a few years ago, to pursue my goal of understanding Pokémon by becoming a Pokémon Researcher, which would explain my hair since the stress of research is overwhelming."

Kenta lowered his head, holding the box tightly to his chest as he asked. "So why did you want to talk to me?"

Professor Oak smiled, putting his cup of tea down. "Right, about that. Well, there are two reasons why I want to talk to you. Firstly, if you don't mind, I would like to have a look at your Pokémon. The last time I've been to Hoenn, I've met a few Pokémon but I wasn't able to catch them, so I don't really have any Hoenn Pokémon to help me in my research."

"I see," Kenta said, placing the box down and unlocking it. He removed the two Pokéballs from it and he released his Pokémon. When Aedus and Semira appeared, Kenta couldn't help but chuckle when he saw Professor Oak's eyes glittered with excitement as he picked up Aedus.

"Magnificent!" The professor exclaimed. "I remember battling a Torchic when I was younger. But I didn't have a chance to really study it." He eyes then moved to Semira, who backed away when she noticed him. "And this must be the Absol that your father mentioned to me. Oh it looks splendid!"

"Semira's a she, professor," Kenta said, picking up the Absol and holding her close to him. "She's my first Pokémon too. Dad gave her to me on my ninth birthday as a present. We've been together ever since, even when I had chosen Aedus as my Starter."

The young Absol smiled at him, nuzzling Kenta with her nose which made him smile.

"That's a nice bond you have with her," Professor Oak said as he placed Aedus down. "When people interact with Pokémon for a very long time, they start to form a bond. They become partners, and friends. Since you two have been together for a long time, your bond is obviously strong."

"Thank you, Professor Oak," Kenta replied. "So, other than my Pokémon, what's the second reason?"

At that moment, Professor Oak stretched his hand out. "Can you hand me your Pokédex? I want to give you an upgraded version of the Pokédex so that you'll have all the information of the Pokémon here in Kanto. So I'll need to take your Pokédex away from you for a few minutes."

Reaching for his pocket, Kenta pulled out his Pokédex, handing it over to the professor, who smiled as he got up. "It'll take a few minutes, so just sit back and relax while I get to work on it." As the professor left the room, Kenta recalled his Pokémon back into their Pokéballs and he picked up his cup, taking another sip of the tea.

He placed the Pokéballs back into the box and closed it. As he reached for the key in his pocket, he heard something scurried into the room. His head turned around to face the door, expecting to see the professor, but nobody was standing there.

Kenta raised a brow as he got off the couch and took a step forward.

"Char!"

It was then when he realized that he had stepped on a tail. Kenta looked down at the floor, only to see his foot pressed against an orange tail which had a flame flickering at the tip of it. Immediately, he removed his foot and watched as the tail swiped from side to side as he turned his head to see an orange, bipedal, reptilian-like Pokémon.

The tail had belonged to a Pokémon that Kenta had never seen before, a Charmander.

"Squirtle! Squirtle! Squirtle!" Laughed a different voice.

Kenta turned to his right, only to see a turtle-like Pokémon laughing as it pointed at the Charmander. The other Pokémon was another one that Kenta had never seen in the Hoenn region, a Squirtle.

Then, a third Pokémon entered the room, tackling the turtle-like Pokémon. "Bulbasaur! Bulba!"

This third Pokémon was a small, quadruped Pokémon that had a bulb on its back. It was a Bulbasaur, the third newest Pokémon that Kenta had never seen.

Kenta approached the Lizard Pokémon and knelt down beside it, giving the Pokémon an apologetic look. "Are you alright? I'm sorry I stepped on your tail, little guy." Charmander glared at him, raising its hand up and slashing it against Kenta's cheek. It had used Scratch on him.

The boy yelped in pain as he fell on his back, clutching his cheek as he gritted his teeth in pain while Bulbasaur tackled it. "Bulbasaur! Saur! Bulba!"

"Char! Charmander!" Charmander growled, pointing at Kenta with a look of hatred, which Bulbasaur responded by arguing while Squirtle quickly left the room.

"Alright, cut it out, you two," Kenta said, only to receive another glare from the Lizard Pokémon as it attempted to use Scratch again. This time, it was blocked by Bulbasaur, who knocked it aside with a Tackle attack.

"Looks like there's only one thing to do, and I don't like it," Kenta muttered as he got up, making his way to the box on the table. As he was about to open it, Professor Oak had stepped in, surprised by the two Pokémon.

"Charmander! Bulbasaur! What are you two doing in here?" Professor Oak asked. "It may be your time out of the Pokéballs, but this room is off-limit whenever someone is here. Now go out and play somewhere else." As the two Pokémon left the room, the professor approached Kenta. "Sorry about that, Kenta. This batch of Starters are the most problematic ones I've ever had to deal with."

Kenta chuckled, lowering his hand from his cheek. "Yeah. I can tell."

"Goodness!" Professor Oak gasped as he ran over to him. "Are you alright?"

"That orange one used Scratch on me, but I'll be fine," Kenta replied as he rubbed the wound. "So, is my Pokédex ready?"

Professor Oak only smiled, showing Kenta the Pokédex. "The entries of the Pokémon in Kanto are all in it. Now you won't be clueless whenever you see one!"

Kenta opened the device, searching for the entries of the three Pokémon he had just saw. When he did find them, the image of the third Pokémon appeared first, with its entry, followed by the reptilian Pokémon and the turtle-like Pokémon.

"Bulbasaur, the Seed Pokémon. A young Bulbasaur uses the nutrients from its seed for the energy it needs to grow."

"Charmander, the Lizard Pokémon. When the tip of Charmander's tail burns brightly, that indicates that it's in good health."

"Squirtle, the Tiny Turtle Pokémon. During battle, Squirtle hides in its shell that sprays water at its opponent whenever it can."

"So these are the Starters that new Trainers in Kanto are able to choose from?"

Professor Oak nodded. "Yes. Out of these three, a new Trainer can have one of them as their first Pokémon. However, there aren't any new Trainers anymore this month since very few Trainers have reached ten years old. But come next month, I'm going to be quite busy…"

Kenta only laughed as he locked the box of his two Pokémon, picking it up and faced the professor. "Well, Professor Oak, it was nice meeting you. But it looks like I need to head back to Viridian City. Mom's expecting me to be back before dark."

"I see," Professor Oak nodded. "Then you should be heading off now. If you have time in the future, why don't you visit me? I could use a hand to help me with the Pokémon I already have in my lab."

"Sure thing, professor!" Kenta replied as he made his way to the door, only to be stopped by the Pokémon from before, Bulbasaur. He looked at the Seed Pokémon with a confused look and asked. "Is something wrong, little guy?"

"Bulba," it replied, slowly moving towards him and nuzzled his leg. "Bulbasaur…"

Professor Oak smiled. "Oh? Looks like Bulbasaur has taken a liking to you, Kenta."

The boy smiled, giving the Bulbasaur a quick pat on the head. "That's nice, Bulbasaur, but I really need to go now. I need to head home."

Bulbasaur took a step back, smiling as it turned its head towards Professor Oak. "Bulba! Bulba! Bulbasaur!" From its bulb, a pair of vines emerged, and it reached for the professor's lab coat, taking out a Pokéball. The Seed Pokémon brought the Pokéball over to it and placed the capsule in Kenta's hand.

"It seems Bulbasaur has chosen its Trainer," Professor Oak said. "Why don't you keep Bulbasaur, Kenta?"

"Keep it?" Kenta blinked. "But wouldn't you need it for a new Trainer if they decided to choose Bulbasaur?"

Professor Oak responded with a dismissive wave and replied. "Oh don't worry. By the time the next Trainer comes, I would already have a new Bulbasaur. Besides, who am I to deny a Pokémon the Trainer it wishes to follow? I'm sure your mother would understand if you brought it back with you."

"I sure hope so," Kenta muttered as he turned towards the Bulbasaur, who was seated down, awaiting Kenta to recall it back. The boy did so, recalling the Seed Pokémon back into the Pokéball as he made his way out of the room. "I'll come back next time, Professor Oak!"

"Take care!" The professor cried as Kenta left the lab.

* * *

 **A/N: First chapter of this story is complete! What do you guys think of it?**


	2. Chapter 2: Giovanni & Rhydon

**Chapter 2: Giovanni Rhydon**

 **Disclaimer:** **I do not own Pokémon but I own my OCs in this story.**

With the sun still out, Kenta picked up his pace as he walked down the trail back towards Viridian City.

"I wonder what mom will think of you," Kenta said as he gave a quick glance at Bulbasaur's Pokéball. "I'm sure mom will be glad that she'll have someone else to help out in the house. At least now she won't have to nag about me not doing much."

Just then, a rustle came from a tree near him, gaining his attention as he looked towards the tree. Kenta approached the tree cautiously, knowing that a Pokémon was hiding in it. Kenta took another step, closing the distance between him and the tree. Then, it appeared.

From the tree, a flock of Flying Pokémon had flew straight out and they dived down with their beaks aimed at Kenta.

The boy quickly rolled onto his side, avoiding the Flying Pokémon as they flew back up into the sky. "W-what are those?!" Instantly, he pulled out his newly updated Pokédex and an image of the Pokémon appeared on it.

"Spearow, the Tiny Bird Pokémon. Spearow has a terrible attitude. It is very wild and will sometimes attack other Pokémon and humans. Spearow has a very loud cry that can be heard over half a mile away. If its high, keening cry is heard echoing all around, it is a sign that they are warning each other of danger."

Kenta's eyes opened widely as he stared at the flock of Spearow, whom were all turning back towards him. "These are the Spearow that Officer Jenny warned me about?!" Instinctively, Kenta ran off, hoping that he was closer to Viridian City so he could quickly make his way home.

He didn't want to look back, knowing that it would be a regretful choice. He just ran and ran, not stopping even when he couldn't hear the flaps of their wings. He was just lucky that his mother had given him running shoes to use.

Just then, he saw the bushes in front of him rustled.

Fear quickly gripped onto Kenta as his mind went through the possibilities of what Pokémon would emerge from it. He imagined more Spearow appearing out from there to trap him, like a prey being lured into a trap set by a pack of predators. Then another thought came to his mind and it was possibly just a Rattata or a Pidgey, Pokémon which he heard were common in this area.

However, instead of all that, something else had emerged from the bushes. It was a Pokémon, but it was large, towering just about three times of Kenta's current height. The Pokémon was a familiar sight for the boy as well, having been to the Safari Zone in Hoenn, Kenta had seen a few Rhydon with his father but they couldn't catch them since they resisted a lot.

"Wh-what? What's a Rhydon doing here?" Kenta blinked.

Rhydon turned towards Kenta and the boy instantly stopped when he saw that it was growling furiously at him. Kenta swallowed, backing away as Rhydon roared before charging towards him. Of course, Kenta screamed, leaping to the side as Rhydon ran passed him.

It stopped, turning around and charged at Kenta again. The boy dodged the incoming attack once more, rolling onto his side as he looked at it, seeing the anger in its eyes as it growled again. Kenta knew he wouldn't survive long if he didn't have any help. He slowly reached for his key, thinking that he would call Aedus out to help him, momentarily ignoring his fear. But he stopped when he remembered that he had yet to keep his newly obtained Bulbasaur in the chest. He grabbed the Pokéball from his pocket and Kenta tossed it. "Bulbasaur, help me out!"

The Bulbasaur emerged from the capsule, standing protectively in front of the boy as it glared at Rhydon. "Bulba! Bulbasaur!"

With a scoff, Rhydon prepared to charge again. However, it stopped when all three of them heard the Spearow flock approaching them.

"Oh no…" Kenta paled. "Bulbasaur, let's get out of here." The Seed Pokémon didn't argue back. It followed the boy as they ran off towards Viridian City. Kenta turned his head around, thinking that Rhydon would be gone as well. Instead, he saw Rhydon standing its ground as the Spearow flock appeared.

He stopped and turned around, surprising his Bulbasaur as it did the same. As they watched Rhydon, they saw that an orange sphere had formed in front of its mouth which began to expand. Moments later, an orange beam was blasted towards the Spearow flock, just missing their heads. "A Hyper Beam warning shot," Kenta muttered.

Rhydon roared, which angered the Spearow. The flock dispersed, flying in all directions but Kenta knew that they were up to something. The way that the flock was behaving was familiar to him when he and his father used to visit the areas near Petalburg City. He remembered how Taillow flocks would disperse and fly around randomly in order to confuse intruders before attacking them head on relentlessly just so that the intruders would leave their territory.

At the moment, the Spearow were doing the same thing.

"Bulbasaur," Kenta said, catching the Seed Pokémon's attention. "That Rhydon might have attacked us, but it couldn't withstand that many Spearow attacks. We have to help it." Bulbasaur only nodded back with a smile, which Kenta took as an agreement. "Alright then, let's get in there."

One by one, the Spearow dived at the Drill Pokémon, who withstood some of the Peck attacks from the flock. It was pushed back by a few steps from a few of the Spearow who had struck its stomach. Rhydon roared as it swiped its claws at the air, hoping to hit a few Spearow but it couldn't hit any of them. It was immobilized. There was nothing it could do but take the damage it received. That was the advantage of a group.

It was sure that it was going to lose. There was not a single chance where it could even prepare another Hyper Beam. Any attacks it wanted to do was useless as well with the Spearow all flying around like that. It was done for. However-

"Bulbasaur, use Vine Whip!"

The Drill Pokémon blinked when it saw a pair of vines shot passed it. The vines slammed into a Spearow, which was just inches away from Rhydon, and it screeched in pain as it fell on its back. Rhydon turned to Kenta and his Bulbasaur with a confused look. Why was the human helping it when it had attacked him?

It watched as the human whispered to the Seed Pokémon who gave him a nod as it ran over to Rhydon with its vines swiping in all directions while Kenta placed the box down as he searched for his key. When he found it, Kenta slot the key into the box and twisted it, unlocking the box as he removed the two Pokéballs in it. "Semira, Aedus, I need you both!"

Released from their capsules, the Absol and Torchic looked around, slightly confused at first as they turned towards their Trainer, who had an anxious look on his face. "Guys, we need to chase the Spearow away. Think you can do that?" The two nodded and Kenta smiled. "Alright then. Semira, use Razor Wind. Aedus, use Ember. We have to defend Bulbasaur and Rhydon!"

A white crescent blade of energy was released from Semira's scythe-like horn, flying through the air as it flew passed the Spearow flock while Aedus blasted bolts of fire from his mouth, aimed at any Spearow who were near them.

The three regrouped with Bulbasaur and the Rhydon, who was surprised by the two Pokémon since it had never seen Pokémon like them before. Its eyes went to the human Trainer, who was encouraging the three Pokémon. "Keep it up, guys!"

One of the Spearow dodged Semira's Razor Wind attack, and locked its eyes on her with full intentions of attacking the Disaster Pokémon. It gave one flap of its wings and descended down at an incredible speed.

Rhydon noticed this and roared, pushing Kenta aside as it leapt into the air, grabbing the Spearow who was completely taken by surprise by Rhydon. The Drill Pokémon threw the Spearow towards its flock and charged its Hyper Beam attack.

Kenta realized what it was doing and he turned to his Pokémon. "Rhydon's charging a Hyper Beam. Let's keep the Spearow off it for now. Semira, use your Razor Wind again. Make it a rapid fire this time." The Disaster Pokémon nodded as her horn glowed. Semira swung her head to the side, firing multiple energy blades at the Spearow as Rhydon charged his Hyper Beam.

Once the orange sphere had fully expanded, Rhydon let out a roar as it blasted another Hyper Beam. This time, the Hyper Beam had struck several of the Spearow, who fell unconsciously to the ground while the rest quickly retreated back into the trees.

"We did it," Kenta sighed in relief as he turned to his Pokémon. "Thanks for your help, guys. Get some rest." He returned all three of them to their capsules and placed them in the box before turning back to Rhydon, who had its eyes narrowed down at him. "Look, Rhydon," Kenta said. "I don't want any trouble, alright? All I wanted to do was to get back to Viridian City. I didn't mean to step into your territory."

Rhydon tilted its head, a sign that it was confused by what Kenta had said and he raised a brow. "What?" The Drill Pokémon's ears twitched and it shifted its head towards the direction where it had emerged from minutes ago. It released a low growl at Kenta and took a step forward, making its way towards the direction it came from.

As it disappeared into the woods, Kenta took a glance in the direction of Viridian City and then faced Rhydon's direction. The fact that a Rhydon was close to Viridian City was impossible to believe. He knew this because he had took the time on the flight to know what kind of Pokémon he would come across should he ever leave the city. He had never comes across any information that a Wild Rhydon would be nearby. He needed to know why it was here, and why it hasn't been spoken of by people.

Kenta took a deep breath as he gripped his box tightly. He looked towards the sky and saw that the sun was beginning to set. He sighed as he walked in the direction that Rhydon had headed to. "Find out why Rhydon's here and head straight home," Kenta muttered repeatedly as he followed Rhydon's trail.

His pace quickened as he stared at the ground, looking out for Rhydon's footprints. They weren't as hard to find since the Drill Pokémon was a huge creature. But Kenta had to admit, compared to those he had seen in Hoenn's Safari Zone with his father, this particular Rhydon was fast. He had expected to be close to Rhydon, hearing the Drill Pokémon's loud footsteps, but it was quiet, with the exception of a few noises he had heard close to him.

For nearly half an hour, he had followed the trail but he has yet to even get close to the Drill Pokémon's position. He blinked as he looked up towards the sky. The sun was already beginning to set. With a sigh of defeat, Kenta had no choice but to turn around and make his way back to the path. "Tomorrow. I'll find out why Rhydon's here tomorrow," Kenta said to himself.

Just then, a large shadow appeared above him, flying over his head.

At first, Kenta had suspected that his mind was playing a trick on him since he was surrounded by trees which were already casting shadows of their own. But then, it appeared again, as if it was circling around him. Kenta stopped in his tracks and listened to his surroundings. It was quiet, except for the rustles in the grass around him which he suspected was from Wild Pokémon.

However, there was something strange about it. The way the Wild Pokémon had ran off was as if they were frightened, but by whom?

His question seemed to have been answered on its own when he heard a loud shriek from above him.

"Fear~!"

Kenta's face paled when a large bird-like Pokémon swooped down with its drill-like beak pointed at him. Thankfully, his reflexes wasn't that bad. Kenta leapt to his side, barely avoiding the Pokémon's attack as it ascended up into the air once more. "What Pokémon was that?!"

He took out his Pokédex and pointed it towards the Pokémon. The Pokédex instantly displayed an image of it and its entry was given. "Fearow, the Beak Pokémon. The evolved form of Spearow. Its large, powerful wings allow it to fly for an entire day. The crushing power of its beak is tremendous."

"Spearow's evolved form?" Kenta repeated, with a hint of anxiety is his voice as he looked up. Again, he saw Fearow diving down towards him and he quickly leapt back, avoiding it again.

Fearow looked up at Kenta and glared at the boy as it flew up to a branch and perched itself on it. "Fear!" It shrieked as it spread its wings out. Moments later, a flock of Spearow emerged all around the place, glaring at Kenta as well.

"The Spearow must have went to get help after what I did…"

Kenta opened the box in his arms and picked up Bulbasaur's Pokéball. "Looks like we're going to be busy again. I'm going to count on you one more time, Bulbasaur." Tossing the Pokéball onto the ground, the Seed Pokémon emerged from it and its head turned to face Kenta. The boy sighed. "And here I thought my battling days were over. Use your Vine Whip again on the trees to scare the Spearow away."

With a nod from Bulbasaur, it released its vines and began smacking the trees with them. Thanks to the force it had applied to the vines, the trees shook, causing the Spearow flock to lose their balance as they took the sky, flying alongside Fearow.

"Ow~!"

Fearow's screech caused the flock to disperse, but they remained close to the Beak Pokémon. The flock circled above Aaron and Bulbasaur and the two had no idea what was happening.

"Bulbasaur, they're up to something so stay on your guard," Kenta said, earning a nod from the Seed Pokémon as they watched the flock descend closer to them. Then, a hole appeared in the flock and Fearow dived through it, forming a stream of white light behind it as Fearow aimed its body at Aaron.

"That's Aerial Ace!" Kenta cried, recognizing the move. His mind quickly ran through all the possible outcomes of countering the attack. However, due to Bulbasaur's moves, there was only one way of doing so.

"Bulbasaur!" Kenta called out, gaining the attention of the Seed Pokémon. "There's only one way we can counter that Aerial Ace. But we only have one shot at it. Think you're up for it?" Bulbasaur nodded, showing its Trainer that it was confident. "Good. Then you'll need to use Vine Whip to tangle its beak and swing it around."

As Fearow approached them, Bulbasaur released its vines and waited for the Beak Pokémon to come closer. When it did, Bulbasaur leapt into the air and entangled Fearow's beak with its vines. With all its strength, Bulbasaur tried to swing Fearow around, but the Beak Pokémon proved to be stronger. Fearow spun around, causing Bulbasaur to fall off its back as its vines loosened. Then, Fearow ascended into the air.

"Fear~!"

"Bulbasaur!" Kenta ran over to the Seed Pokémon, making sure that it wasn't harmed too badly. However, he had failed to realize that Fearow was coming back with a Drill Peck attack this time. Bulbasaur struggled to get up. It wanted to protect its Trainer, but its leg had dealt a lot of pain from the fall. Its eyes only widened in fear when it saw Fearow closing in and its Trainer was still unaware of it.

Then, it appeared.

When Fearow was just inches away from Kenta's back, the Rhydon from before had emerged from the vegetation and it slammed its fist into Fearow's face, causing the Beak Pokémon to miss Kenta and crashed onto the ground.

Kenta turned around in surprise, seeing Rhydon standing before him with a glare fixed on Fearow. "Rhydon, I've finally found you." Rhydon ignored the boy, letting out a roar as it charged towards Fearow. Seeing the Drill Pokémon, Fearow flapped its wings, taking to the sky as it flew towards the Spearow flock.

"So you're the one who's gotten my Rhydon distracted, huh?"

Kenta turned around and gasped when he saw a tall man, who donned a black suit, standing before him. The man was holding onto a different colored Pokéball, which was black and yellow at the top instead of red, an Ultra Ball.

"Who are you, boy?"

"I think you're the one who should be telling me who you are first," Kenta retorted, earning a grunt from the man.

"I am Giovanni," said the man. "I came to this route because I've heard that a Wild Fearow and its flock of Spearow have decided to make their home here when they should be back in Route 3 where they are usually found. I'm here to bring them back to their original habitat."

"My name's Kenta," said the boy. "I'm here because of your Rhydon. I thought it was a Wild one so I followed it to find out why it's here. But now I know that it's a trained one."

Giovanni gave the boy a quick look and raised an eyebrow. "You're a little young to be taking this kind of risks, boy. If my Rhydon was really a Wild one, then you wouldn't be alive before the sun even sets."

"I was planning to head back to Viridian but that Fearow and its friends cut my path off so that I was trapped," Kenta replied.

"You're from Viridian City?" Giovanni asked, earning a nod from Kenta. "Then you're in luck, boy. It just so happens, I am from Viridian City as well. Let's make a deal, Kenta. We'll work together to beat these Pokémon. My Rhydon and I will handle Fearow while you and your Pokémon handle the Spearow, are you up for it?"

Kenta nodded, though he was still worried for his Bulbasaur. "As long as we make it back before night, I'll try. Take a rest, Bulbasaur. Semira and Aedus will handle things from here." As the Seed Pokémon was returned to its Pokéball, Kenta opened his box and placed Bulbasaur's capsule in it while taking out the other two. "I'm counting on you two."

When the Absol and Torchic were released from their capsules, Giovanni blinked in surprise. "I've never seen such Pokémon before. What are they?"

"They're Pokémon from my home region, Hoenn, and they're my closest partners," Kenta replied. "Semira, Razor Wind! Aedus, Ember!"

As the Pokémon executed their respective attacks, Giovanni turned back to his Rhydon with a smile. "Quite an interesting fellow. Rhydon, let's show them the power of a Kanto Pokémon. Take Down!" The Drill Pokémon growled as it charged forward, lowering its head to aim its horn at Fearow, who raised its wings as it flew off the ground. Unfortunately, it was slower compared to Rhydon, who slammed its body into the Beak Pokémon.

Fearow was knocked into the air and it flapped its wings to stabilize itself, glaring at Rhydon, who returned it with its own glare. "Scary Face, now!" Giovanni ordered. Rhydon complied, giving Fearow a look which caused it to flinch in fright.

Seeing it hesitate, Giovanni gave his Pokémon another command. "Now bring it back on the ground using Take Down again." The Drill Pokémon leapt into the air and shifted its body as it came closer to Fearow. Within seconds, Rhydon had slammed its elbow onto Fearow's body, which caused it to jerk its head forward while the two plummeted to the ground.

Both Rhydon and Fearow crashed onto the ground and Rhydon was the one who stood up first. Giovanni grinned, knowing that victory was at hand. Then, he noticed that the Fearow was getting back up. Giovanni immediately took out a Pokéball from his pocket and tossed it at the Pokémon.

Once the Pokéball made contact with the Fearow's forehead, the device split opened, absorbing the Beak Pokémon into it. As soon as the Pokéball, closed, it fell onto the ground and it started shaking vigorously.

Shake*

Shake*

Shake*

Then, it stopped, signaling a successful capture.

A satisfied smirk formed on Giovanni's face as he picked up the device. Tucking the Pokéball into his suit, his attention went over to Kenta, who had already cleared half of the flock.

"Aedus, use Peck!"

The Torchic leapt above a Spearow, catching it by surprise as Aedus struck his beak onto the Spearow's head, knocking it back as he landed back on the ground. He turned his head back to Kenta, who smiled at him as he spoke. "All right, we have at least ten Spearow left. Let's make it count!"

Aedus nodded, turning back to face the remaining Spearow as Semira joined his side, both awaiting their Trainer's command. "Semira, use Leer on them. Aedus, use Ember right after that. We might be able to scare them off if it works."

Both Pokémon nodded to their Trainer as they performed their respective moves.

Semira took a step forward and glared at the Spearow flock, who completely froze in their positions when her eyes began to glow blue. At the same time, Aedus opened his beak, releasing a stream of fire bolts which struck a few of the Spearow.

The Spearow all panicked, seeing that their numbers had diminished and their leader was nowhere to be seen. They only had one option left, run away. The remaining Spearow all turned away and flew off, knowing that they were completely defeated.

Seeing them leave, Kenta let out a sigh of relief as he turned to his Pokémon. He lowered himself to their level and smiled, patting their heads as he opened his box. "Thanks for your help guys. Take a good rest. We'll be home soon." The two nodded, tapping their respective Pokéballs, returning to them as Aaron closed the box once more, locking it as he turned to face Giovanni.

"Impressive, young man," Giovanni said. "You managed to chase off the Spearow flock, not to mention that you did that while giving your Pokémon commands which shouldn't have beaten those Spearow so easily. I've never seen anybody use Leer and Ember as a combination to chase Wild Pokémon away like that."

Kenta smiled sheepishly at him. "Well, you'd pick up a thing or two when you're learning from an instructor who's a Gym Leader. I learnt that combination when I was younger."

"I see," Giovanni nodded, returning Rhydon to its capsule as he turned away. "Since we're both heading back to Viridian, why don't you follow me? I know a shortcut that will get us there quicker than the usual route."

"Really?" Kenta asked, receiving another nod from the man. "In that case, lead the way, Giovanni."

As the two continued down Giovanni's shortcut, the man himself turned to the boy. "So, Kenta, tell me more about yourself."

"Hmm?"

"It's rare to see a young man such as yourself out here this late, after all. I'm just curious about why you're here," Giovanni replied.

Kenta simply shrugged. "I was just in Pallet Town talking to Professor Oak."

"Professor Oak? The man who created the Pokédex?" Kenta gave him a nod and Giovanni smiled. "Then you must be a beginning Trainer, I presume."

"Not really," replied the boy, lowering his head. "I…I quit being a Trainer long ago."

This new information caught Giovanni off-guard. How could a boy such as him quit being a Trainer? That wasn't what most youths Giovanni had seen before would do. "But why?"

"I made my decision when I was trying to get my second badge, Giovanni," Kenta said. "I lost the Gym battle, but more importantly, I almost lost my best friend…" His arms tightened around the box as he said the last part. "It was then, I realize that my dream of becoming a Trainer was just a fantasy. In reality, being a Trainer is one of the most dangerous and hardest thing I could imagine. The thought of losing Semira is…depressing."

As Giovanni listened, he frowned. "So you quit being a Trainer, just because your Pokémon almost died?"

"Semira is part of my life," Kenta said. "Without her, I wouldn't have anyone close to support me, besides my family. That is why I quit, to keep her and Aedus safe. I don't want them to experience it all again, not after what had happened. Battling those Spearow was an exception."

"Such a waste," Giovanni muttered. "You would have been a fine Trainer without that attitude."

"Did you say something, Giovanni?" Kenta asked, not hearing what the man had just said.

Giovanni's frown instantly vanished as he turned to face him. "Oh, nothing important." Then, it struck him. An idea. "Say, Kenta?" The boy's attention went to Giovanni, who continued. "I was wondering, how would you like to get over your fear of battling?"

"What?"

"I was thinking of taking you under my wing," Giovanni replied. "To make you my protege. You have an incredible talent, Kenta. When I saw you battle those Spearow, I had a feeling that you would become an amazing Trainer."

Kenta was dumbstruck by this. "But I just told you, I won't battle against other people or Pokémon anymore. I don't want to risk my Pokémon getting hurt."

"And that is why you can never win battles," Giovanni retorted. "You focus too much on the safety of your Pokémon that you never bothered to think about winning. You said that you went to the second Gym, but did you beat the first one?"

"…Yes," Kenta replied.

"Did you beat it on the first try?"

"…No," said the boy. "It took me many tries before I could earn the badge."

Giovanni scoffed. "That is why I suggest that I should train you. Under my guidance, I will be sure to make you the Trainer you should have been."

Soon, they arrived at the edge of the woods, where the entrance to Viridian City was in view, with Officer Jenny standing by her station. Giovanni nudged Kenta forward and spoke. "I'll tell you what, why don't you take the night to think about it. Come over to the Gym in the morning with your decision."

Hearing that, Kenta blinked in surprise as he stared at Giovanni in disbelief. "You're a Gym Leader?!"

The man simply gave a smile as he walked ahead. "Make up your mind, Kenta. I'll await your response tomorrow."

Kenta stopped by Jenny's station, where the officer smiled when she saw him. "Welcome back from Pallet Town, kid. Did you enjoy your visit to Professor Oak?" The boy nodded and Jenny continued. "Well, I'm glad you're safe too. I saw the Spearow flock leaving the area just an hour ago and I thought you were attacked by them."

"You could say that…" Kenta muttered as Jenny let him back into the city.

 **A/N: That's the end of the second chapter! Hope it isn't too rushed though...**


	3. Chapter 3: Kenta's decision

**Chapter 3: Kenta's decision**

Reaching his apartment building, Kenta climbed the stairs, heading up to the fifth floor and walked down the corridor. As he reached his apartment, he entered it and was immediately greeted by his mother's Pokémon.

Delcatty purred as soon as she spotted him and rubbed her body against his leg, which made him smile as he knelt down to pat the Delcatty's forehead. "I'm home, Delcatty. Could you go tell mom?"

"There's no need for that!" Annie called out from the kitchen. "The apartment's smaller than our old house, Kenta. I heard you open the door. Why don't you get some rest? Dinner's going to be ready soon!"

"Okay, mom!" Kenta gave Delcatty another pat on the head and he quickly made his way to his room. There, he place his box down and unlocked it, taking out the three Pokéballs and releasing the Pokémon within them.

Semira, Aedus and Bulbasaur emerged from their capsules, with the two Hoenn Pokémon falling on their sides as they leapt onto Kenta's bed while Bulbasaur looked around curiously at the room, which Kenta found amusing.

"Welcome to my room, Bulbasaur," Kenta replied. "Since you're going to be my Pokémon from now on, why don't we decide on a name for you? What do you think?" The Seed Pokémon nodded as it sat down, with its eyes glued on Kenta as he ran his mind through a suitable name for it.

"How do you like Saur?" Bulbasaur shook its head.

"Hmm…how about Root?" Again, it shook its head.

"Then what about Argus?" This time, Bulbasaur was deep in thought for a moment. Then, it smiled, giving its Trainer a nod as it jumped into his arms. Kenta smiled back. "Then from today onwards, you're now Argus. Nice to have you with us."

"Bulba!" Argus cried as its vines emerged from its back, wrapping around Kenta as it gave him a hug, which he returned with his own.

"Take a rest, Argus. Once mom's done with dinner, I'll get you and the others to wake up," Kenta said. The Seed Pokémon nodded, leaping onto the boy's bed as it sat down beside Aedus and laid its head on the pillow while Kenta place the box on his desk and sat down.

 _"I was thinking of taking you under my wing…"_

Giovanni's words ran through his mind as he rested his head on the table, his eyes moving towards where he had placed his Stone Badge. Coupled with Giovanni's words, the memories of his Gym battle at Dewford City from five years ago flooded back to him.

* * *

 _"Well, well, well, looks like I've got a new challenger."_

 _A younger version of Kenta smiled as he raised Aedus's Pokéball. "My name's Kenta! I'm here to challenge the Dewford City's Gym Leader for the Knuckle Badge!"_

 _A muscular man stepped forward, who wore nothing but his pants with a black belt around his waist, and smirked as he looked at Kenta from head to toe. "So you're just another kid who thinks he can beat me, huh? Well let me tell you something before I accept your challenge. I don't hold back, so don't expect me to pamper you with predictable attacks."_

 _"You don't have to," Kenta replied. "I've already done my research on you, William. You usually use a Hitmonlee as your first Pokémon, since you want to catch your opponents off guard using a Pokémon not native to the Hoenn region. Your other Pokémon is a Machoke, and it's your ace as well."_

 _The Dewford Gym Leader, William, smiled. "You're not like the other bratty kids I've faced during this month. You're actually smart enough to do some research before challenging me."_

 _"It pays off to learn in a class taught by the Gym Leader of Rustboro City's Gym."_

 _"Ah," William chuckled. "So you're one of Alex's brats. That makes more sense now since he's all about strategies. That makes this challenge all the more interesting. I accept your challenge, Kenta. Show me what you've learnt from Alex."_

 _Kenta nodded, making his way towards the battlefield as another man, a referee, appeared, raising his hand up. "This will be an official Gym battle between the challenger, Kenta, and the Gym Leader, William! Two Pokémon shall be allowed for both sides and only the challenger is able to substitute his Pokémon. There will be no time limit as well. Let the battle begin!"_

 _William picked up his first Pokéball and tossed it into the field, which released his first Pokémon. As Kenta had expected, it was a Hitmonlee. Kenta smirked, knowing that the battle plans he had ran through in his mind should work. He winded his arm back and flung Aedus's Pokéball onto the field, releasing the Fire Type Starter Pokémon._

 _Seeing Aedus, William blinked. "A Fire Type? I was expecting a Flying Type Pokémon from you. After all, you said you've researched me and my Pokémon. But I'm sure you have something up your sleeves. I'll go first. Hitmonlee, begin with Double Kick."_

 _The Kicking Fiend complied, lunging forward as it leapt into the air with its left foot outstretched._

 _"As expected, I should focus on plans 4, 10 and 15," Kenta muttered as he turned his attention to his Torchic. "Aedus, we'll go with plan 4 for now. Evade the first kick and use Growl before it can do its second kick."_

 _Aedus nodded, keeping his eyes on Hitmonlee as it came closer to him. Then, as its foot was nearing him, the Torchic pushed himself to the front, avoiding the first kick as he quickly turned around. Hitmonlee landed and flinched for a moment as it tried to balance itself before swinging its body around for the second blow. However, Aedus had let out a loud cry which caused the Kicking Fiend to halt._

 _"Now that it's distracted, use Peck!"_

 _William narrowed his eyes. "Not so fast, Hitmonlee, deflect that attack with Rolling Kick!"_

 _Though it was distracted, Hitmonlee was able to recover thanks to its Trainer's command as it swung around, executing a roundhouse kick which prevented an effective Peck attack from landing a blow as Aedus was knocked back onto the ground._

 _"Aedus!"_

 _"A good attempt to injure my Pokémon, Kenta," William said. "It's rare to see a Trainer use Growl like this. Most Pokémon would have forgotten the move as soon as they learnt a new one. And to combine it with Peck, a combination worth keeping an eye out for. I guess Alex's bragging of the academy wasn't just for his ego. Now show me what else you've got!"_

 _"You want me to make the next move? All right then," Kenta replied. "We'll stick to plan 4, Aedus. Use Ember!"_

 _"Hitmonlee, dodge and attack with Rolling Kick once more!"_

 _Blasts of fire bolts were released from Aedus's beak and Hitmonlee did as it was told, gracefully leaping over the bolts of fire as it advanced closer to the Chick Pokémon. Then, it lifted its foot and swung it, slamming it into Aedus's side as the Torchic was sent crashing against one of the many rocks on the field._

 _Seeing this, Kenta's eyes widened slightly. "What? How is Hitmonlee that agile? My research didn't mention anything about it!"_

 _William noticed the anxiety from Kenta's voice and smirked. "Did I catch you off-guard, little boy? That's a good sign, for me anyway. Hitmonlee, use Focus Energy!" The Kicking Fiend nodded, inhaling a deep breath as a red aura emitted from its body, giving it more strength._

 _"Focus Energy wasn't supposed to be used until three more moves…" Kenta muttered, panicking as he realized that his plan was not working out. "Plan 10 won't help anymore, now that Aedus is weakened and plan 15 is out now that I know Hitmonlee is quite agile. I need a new plan…"_

 _Instantly, his mind flooded with new battle plans on how he should proceed from his current situation._

 _William folded his arms and raised an eyebrow as he looked at Kenta, who seemed to be standing still with his head lowered and hands clenched. "If you're not going to make a move, Kenta, then I shall. Hitmonlee, strike with Hi Jump Kick!"_

 _At that moment, Kenta smiled. "High Jump Kick, huh? Aedus, use Growl again and dodge the attack!"_

 _The Chick Pokémon struggled to his feet as he watched Hitmonlee leap into the air. As the Kicking Fiend raised its knee, Aedus let out another cry which caused Hitmonlee to lose its focus as Aedus took a few steps to the right._

 _Hitmonlee crashed onto the ground and it flinched in pain as it struggled to stand back up._

 _"Looks like it worked," Kenta smirked. "Aedus, use Peck before it does anything else!" The Torchic's beak glowed once more as he lunged at Hitmonlee, landing a blow on its waist. The Kicking Fiend groaned painfully as it fell onto its side from the attack, clutching the spot which Aedus had hit._

 _William grinned. "This is getting interesting. And here I thought I had already ruined your plan."_

 _Kenta smiled back. "You did, William. I had to think of many more plans on how to counter your Hitmonlee when I realized that it was more agile than I thought. I just got lucky when you told it to use Hi Jump Kick since I've already thought of a plan that time."_

 _The Dewford Gym Leader blinked. "Incredible. To think that you were able to come up with a battle plan on the spot that fits the situation…that is far greater than just impressive. Alex must be proud to have a student like you. But enough of this small chat. Our battle still continues! Hitmonlee, Rolling Kick!"_

 _In an instant, Hitmonlee spun around as it raised its legs. Before Aedus could react, the Kicking Fiend had landed a kick on his face, sending the Chick Pokémon flying towards Kenta._

 _"Aedus, use Peck to stabilize yourself!" The Torchic complied with his Trainer, slamming his glowing beak into the ground as he slowed down, placing his feet on the ground. Kenta grinned. "Great job, Aedus. Now let's win ourselves a battle!"_

 _"Don't let them get ahead of us, Hitmonlee! Double Kick!"_

 _"Focus Energy! Then use Peck!"_

 _Hitmonlee charged forward, its eyes filled with determination as it watched an orange aura emit from Aedus's body. Hitmonlee leapt up, stretching out its left foot as it neared Aedus, whose beak was glowing brightly. The first kick missed, hitting the ground as Hitmonlee swung its right foot, only to realize that Aedus was already next to it. Before it could do anything, Aedus landed an effective Peck attack on Hitmonlee's face._

 _The Kicking Fiend cried out in pain as it fell back, but it wasn't done just yet. With its right foot still up, it slammed its foot onto Aedus's back, sending the Chick Pokémon crashing into the ground next to Hitmonlee as a dust cloud began to form around the two._

 _When the cloud had cleared, Kenta and William both had their jaws dropped. Their Pokémon were both unconscious._

 _"Outstanding!" William said, returning Hitmonlee to its Pokéball. "Never have I seen a Torchic defeat a Hitmonlee in my entire life! You have a wonderful talent, Kenta. That I cannot deny! However…" As he brought out his second Pokéball, he continued. "Will you be able to handle my partner? Machoke, let's go!"_

 _His Machoke emerged, arms folded with a confident smirk. It looked at Kenta and narrowed its eyes at him, awaiting the next Pokémon he was going to send out._

 _Kenta returned Aedus to his Pokéball and smiled. "You've done a good job, Aedus. Take a good rest." Then, he reached for his belt, where he removed Semira's Pokéball and brought it close to him and whispered. "You can do it, Semira. We'll go against its Type advantage with our plans. I know you can do it." He winded his arm back and flung the device forward, watching it split open as the young Absol emerged from it._

 _Upon seeing the Absol, William was filled with mixed feelings. Disappointment and Intrigued. "A Dark Type? Perhaps my praises to you were too much that it made you overconfident, Kenta. Dark Types are weak against Fighting Types, not to mention that Absol is still young.."_

 _"I know," Aaron replied. "That's why I already have a plan. Like I said, I've already done my research on you and your Pokémon. I know all of your Machoke's Moves, so I'm sure I can manage myself. "_

 _"Then let's us begin our second match!" William announced. "Machoke, use Brick Break!" His Machoke nodded, raising its right hand as it glowed while it charged towards Semira._

 _Kenta grinned. "Semira, plan 3." The Absol nodded as she turned back face Machoke, who was getting closer every passing second. "Double Team! Then use Quick Attack!"_

 _Machoke swung its hand down as it neared Semira. Its hand slammed into the Absol and it gave a smug look when it saw its opponent fall. However, the Absol instantly vanished the next moment, surprising Machoke as it looked up, only to find out that it was surrounded by multiple copies of Semira._

 _Semira and her copies then lunged forward, leaving a trail of white energy as they tackled Machoke, though only Semira was the one who could damage it._

 _"How's that, William?" Kenta asked._

 _William smirked. "It was good. But Machoke won't lose. Revenge!"_

 _With its fists clenched, Machoke shifted its body and lunged forward, slamming its body onto Semira, who let out a cry of pain as she skidded across the ground from the attack._

 _Kenta's face paled, filled with panic and fear as he looked at Machoke. "W-what? Revenge? I thought your Machoke didn't know that Move!"_

 _"I taught the Move to it," William said. "The only reason you didn't know if it was because I had recently got it to master the Move. In fact, you should do a little more research next time before you challenge me with outdated information. Machoke, grab that Absol and use Seismic Toss!"_

 _"Semira, get away before it catches you! Double Team!" Kenta cried. This was no longer a battle of strategies for him. How could he go on? He couldn't win this Gym battle, not when he doesn't have accurate information. This was his lost. Now all he had to do is get Semira out of harm's way._

 _Semira leapt into the air, creating copies of herself. As soon as she landed, she and her copies ran around, hoping to confuse Machoke. However, Fighting Type was far more experienced than her. Its eyes looked towards the ground, where it saw a shadow from one of the many Absol and it lunged forward with its arms stretched out._

 _It grabbed her, catching her by surprise as her copies instantly vanished._

 _Machoke smirked as it brought the young Absol close to it and leapt into the air. Seeing the look of fear from her, Machoke could only scoff as it flung her towards the ground, causing a crater to form from the impact._

 _"You've made it much further than most young Trainers such as yourself, Kenta. But this is where it ends," William sighed as he looked up at Machoke. "Finish it with Brick Break!"_

 _Kenta fell to his knees, looking over to Semira's weakened body as tears began to develop in his eyes. "I'm sorry…Semira. I've couldn't win again…" Then, Machoke slammed its hand onto Semira's body, ending the match with its Brick Break._

 _William shook his head, slightly disappointed that the boy had lost. "You fought well, Kenta. I applaud you for trying your best, but it wasn't enough. Come back next time when you've train your Pokémon to be stronger, or at least get a new Pokémon."_

 _Machoke grabbed Semira's unconscious body by the horn and it tossed her towards Kenta, who picked up the young Absol and embraced her tightly as his tears fell, soaking his face and Semira's fur as William returned Machoke to its Pokéball. "Your Absol is in really bad condition. That Brick Break was too much for it to handle. You'd better get it to the Pokémon Center fast. It won't last much longer if you're just going to cry."_

 _Kenta hung his head low, his hair shadowing his eyes as he got up and ran off, making his way to the Pokémon Center with Semira in his arms._

* * *

Though the Stone Badge was from Rustboro City, it also carried his memories of Dewford, which he despised the most.

His eyes went over to his bed, where all three of his Pokémon were sound asleep, exhausted from their battle with Fearow and the Spearow flock. He got off his chair and made his way towards his bed, where he sat down beside Semira.

The wounds she had received from the Gym battle were no longer there, but he had a feeling that she still feels the pain from them every time she thought about it and that made him furious. Not because that he lost the battle, but because he got his best friend, the Pokémon who's been with him even before the start of his short-lived Pokémon journey, seriously injured and she would have died if he hadn't been fast enough to reach the Center.

Kenta ran his fingers down her back, making her purr. He smiled. This was one of Semira's favorite way of having her partner show his affection to her and he enjoyed doing it himself. _"To think that I got you hurt so badly that time…"_ He thought to himself. _"Should I take Giovanni's offer?"_

But he didn't want to wake her up, so he stopped after a few seconds, getting back up and heading out of the room where he proceeded to head to the kitchen.

His mother and Shuppet were still in the middle of making dinner while Delcatty and Taillow were resting in the living room, as usual. As he entered the kitchen, his mother smiled in his direction. "Kenta! Glad you're here, can you pass me the milk?"

Kenta nodded, grabbing the milk from the table and handing her the carton as she poured the content into the mixing bowl. "What're you planning to make, mom?"

"I'm making cake for dessert, Kenta," Annie replied. "It's been so long since I've made some. Also, it's to welcome our newest family member, your Bulbasaur!"

"How did you know about Argus?"

Annie grinned. "I received a call from Professor Oak before you came back. He told me that the Bulbasaur he had was attached to you so he gave it to you. And since it's your Pokémon, it's part of the family too. So we're celebrating with cake! Not to mention that it's the first Pokémon you've gotten in Kanto as well!"

"I'm sure Argus will be grateful for the cake."

"That's a nice name you've given him," Annie said. "It's too bad my Pokémon don't like to have names." Shuppet giggled, nudging Annie playfully as she hovered over her, using her Psychic to help speed up the mixing process.

"Well, at least you and Taillow won't be the only guys in the house anymore," Annie said, making Kenta laugh as she placed a hand on his shoulder. "Make sure to raise Argus well, Kenta. After all, he did choose you to be his Trainer."

"I know, mom," Kenta replied. "You and dad said that before already. Dad said it on my birthday when I got Semira and then when I got Aedus, you told me that. It's what I'm doing, mom. There's no need to remind me all the time."

Annie giggled. "Can't blame a mother for trying."

"Shu, Shuppet," said the Ghost Type as it poured the mixture into a cake tin.

Smiling, Annie picked up the tin and opened the oven, placing the tin in and closing it as she turned the oven on before looking back at Kenta. "Well, now that the cake's in the oven, we'll have time for dinner. Why don't you help set the table?"

"Sure," Kenta replied as he and Shuppet brought the utensils out.

Once the table was prepared, Annie emerged from the kitchen with their dinner, placing two plates on the table while placing the bowls on the ground for the Pokémon. "Kenta, go get your Pokémon. We can't start dinner without them."

Kenta nodded, making his way to his room where he woke the three sleeping Pokémon. "Come on, guys. Dinner's ready." The three stirred from their sleep, waking up with yawns as they followed the boy out, where Argus was instantly showered with warm welcomes from Annie and her Pokémon.

* * *

As dinner was cleared, Annie went back to the kitchen, bringing the cake out as she placed it on the table while Shuppet coated it with icing. Once the icing was done, Annie sliced the cake up, handing each slice to the Pokémon, leaving a two slices left for Kenta and herself.

"Enjoy the cake, Argus," Annie smiled. "It's a family recipe, so I hope you'll like it." The Pokémon nodded, using his vines to pick the cake up as he began eating it while Annie turned to Kenta. "So, care to tell me about your journey to Professor Oak?"

Kenta swallowed a small piece of his cake and shrugged. "There wasn't much happening, mom. Professor Oak just wanted to see Semira and Aedus. Then he upgraded my Pokédex so that I have the data of the Kanto Pokémon."

"That's nice," Annie replied. "It'll be good for you to know what kind of Pokémon we'll see whenever we're out of the apartment."

The boy remained silent. He was still thinking of Giovanni's offer. Kenta didn't know what he should do. Should he go with Giovanni and train with him, become stronger so that he would be the Trainer that he should have been, like what Giovanni had said, or remain at home, where his Pokémon will be safe from harm?

"Mom," Kenta spoke. As his mother turned her attention to him, he took a deep breath. "Mom, when I was coming back from Pallet Town, I met the Viridian Gym Leader."

Hearing this, Annie almost choked on her cake. She coughed. "Are you serious, Kenta? You've already met the Gym Leader? I was expecting it to happen at least a few more weeks from now since you have to adjust to the city! How was it?"

"I only met him because I was attacked by a Fearow and Spearow," he replied, catching his mother's full attention as he continued. "The Gym Leader was only there because he wanted to bring those Pokémon back to their original habitat. When we were heading back here, he…offered me a chance to train under him."

"That's great news!" Annie cried, clapping her hands together. "I can't believe it! After all these years, all it took was a trip to Kanto and an encounter with Kanto's strongest Gym Leader! I'm so happy that you're going to be a Pokémon Trainer again!"

"I haven't decided yet, mom," Kenta sighed. "I'm still thinking about it."

Annie smiled. "If you ask me, I think you should take it. You've been at home with me for the past five years, Kenta. You'd hardly go out to explore anymore. This could be your chance to go out and explore the world once more! Not to mention, this would also help you outgrow from your fear of battling. It's time you take a step forward in your life and make up for the five years you've missed."

"But won't you miss having me around?" Kenta asked.

"Of course I would," Annie replied. "Any parent would miss their child when they go out to the world on their own. But you are your father's son and that means you can take care of yourself. Besides, my Pokémon will keep me occupied. I'm sure your father would agree with me if he was with us in Kanto right now. Too bad his job keeps him busy in Hoenn."

Kenta turned towards his Pokémon, who all smiled at him. "Do you think we should do it, guys? Should we go back to battling?" The Pokémon nodded enthusiastically. "But won't you guys be afraid of getting hurt again?"

"Kenta," Annie sighed. "Your Pokémon have been wanting to battle for so long. Just look at them…" She pointed towards his Pokémon, who were all up on their feet with their smiles still on their faces. "They've been waiting for this to happen. I'm sure Semira has grown out of her old wounds as well."

Semira nodded, puffing her chest out confidently as Annie continued. "Go on, sweetie. Go back to being a Pokémon Trainer. Your potential as a strong Trainer still resides in you and you know it. Show the world who you are, Kenta. Because I believe you will be able to achieve it."

"Thanks, mom," Kenta smiled, embracing his mother. "I'll head over to the Gym tomorrow and tell him about it."

Annie hugged her son tightly. "Get some rest, Kenta. You'll need it for tomorrow, after all."

* * *

"Fear~!" Fearow screeched, slamming its body onto the cell bars. Countless times it had done so, all but to no avail. The bars were strong, strong enough to withstand a Hyper Beam. Its chance of escaping its cage was zero.

Fearow slammed its head onto the bars once more. This time, a beep was heard and after a moment had gone by, Fearow let out a cry of pain as electricity shocked its body. The Flying Type collapsed onto the floor, panting heavily as a shadow appeared before it. It was Giovanni.

"Dr. Namba, has the specimen been proven to be useful?" Giovanni asked, turning his head to face an elderly man who had donned a lab coat.

Dr. Namba sighed, shaking his head in disappointment. "As much as I hate to say it, Giovanni, this Fearow is worthless to us. The rumors we've hears about this Fearow being stronger than normal Fearow have been proven to be false. The fact that it even lost to your Rhydon supports my claim. My suggestion is to give it to any of the Grunts."

Giovanni narrowed his eyes at the Fearow, who glared back at him with hatred. He grinned. "I've heard that Fearow beaks are extremely valuable since they can be used for crafting." Hearing this, Fearow's hatred vanished instantly from its eyes widened, replaced with fear as it watched Giovanni turn away. "Dr. Namba, cut out its beak and sell it to the black market. I'm sure there'll be people wanting such a prize."

"What about its body?" The scientist asked.

"The Arcanine and Growlithe have been getting hungrier lately, haven't they? Let them have the carcass," Giovanni replied.

Dr. Namba smiled. "As expected of you, sir."

Giovanni then stopped and turned around. "Make sure to make it quick. I don't need to hear its screams when I'm sleeping. Besides, I have an important appointment tomorrow at the Gym."

"Oh? What kind?" The scientist asked.

"We might be getting an interesting recruit, doctor. Why don't you come over to the Gym and observe us tomorrow as well?" Giovanni said. "I'm sure you'll be impressed with the result."

"In that case, I won't mind," Dr. Namba replied. "It'll be a nice change of pace around here if you think this potential recruit has the talent to become a great member of Team Rocket. But since it's you who sought him out, I'm guessing that I'll be pleased with the results."

"Of course you will, my friend," Giovanni smiled as he left the room, leaving Dr. Namba with a frightened Fearow.

* * *

 **A/N: Here's the latest chapter, folks! Hope it was alright!**


	4. Chapter 4: Team Rocket

**Chapter 4: Team Rocket**

Kenta turned to his Pokémon, who were all standing by his bed. "You guys ready?" The Pokémon nodded, showing their enthusiasm from the previous night, making Kenta smile as he turned to the desk. On it, was his Trainer's belt, which he had used during his Pokémon journey in the past.

"It's been a while since I've last used you, huh?" Kenta chuckled to himself as he fastened the belt on his waist, picking up the Pokéballs and recalling his Pokémon into them. Once he had placed their capsules on his belt, he headed out of his room, only to be greeted by his mother and her Pokémon.

Shuppet, Delcatty and Taillow all expressed their farewell to the boy by embracing him, which he returned before his attention went to his mother, who had a smile on her face. "Have fun at the Gym, Kenta. I hope you'll learn a lot from the Gym Leader."

"I will, mom," Kenta replied, sharing a hug with his mother, putting on the backpack she had before heading out of the apartment. He ran down the stairs and out of the building, heading out to the busy street of Viridian City once more. He turned back to see his mother and her Pokémon waving to him from the apartment window and he waved back before heading towards the direction of the Gym.

He had done his research on the Gym, an old habit from his past. He had read up on the location of the Gym as well as Giovanni himself. Through his research, he's learnt that Giovanni was indeed, like his mother had said, the strongest Gym Leader in Kanto. Not to mention, Giovanni's Pokémon were all as impressive as he was too.

Giovanni's Rhydon, through his research and witnessing it, was able to use Hyper Beam, Horn Drill, Take Down and Scary Face. His second Pokémon was a Rhyhorn, who also knew Take Down and Scary Face but its other two Moves were Rock Blast and Earthquake.

Dugtrio was the third Pokémon that Giovanni would usually use. Its Moves are Slash, Sand Tomb, Mud-Slap and Earthquake.

His fourth and fifth were Nidoking and Nidoqueen, who both knew the same Moves: Double Kick, Earthquake, Poison Sting and Thrash for Nidoking while Nidoqueen had Body Slam.

They were powerful Pokémon when used correctly, which Kenta knew only Giovanni was capable of doing since his research had also revealed that Pokémon Trainers who faced him would rarely be able to beat him.

As he turned the corner of the street, he saw the Gym up ahead and his pace increased. Anxiety increased within him as the Viridian Gym grew larger as he neared it. His hand gripped Semira's Pokéball tightly as he took a deep breath. "We're going to be training under the best that Kanto has to offer, Semira. Let's give it our all."

He reached the Gym, Kenta was greeted by a pair of men who donned gladiator outfits. They both looked at him as he approached them. The man on the left spoke. "Are you the Trainer that Giovanni had mention to us, Kenta?"

Giving him a nod, the men stepped aside, giving way for him to enter the Gym as the man from before spoke again. "The boss has been expecting you, Kenta. Head on in and you'll find him in there." The doors slide opened and Kenta gave them a nod as he took a step into the Gym.

The interior of the Gym was something Kenta had not expected, compared to those in Hoenn. He continued on his path, where he soon saw an opening which he ran towards. As he walked through it, he was at the Viridian Gym's battlefield.

A flat ground covered most of the floor, acting as the battlefield, while pillars supported the ceiling. On the opposite side of Kenta, he saw a balcony which had railings that secured the edge. On the balcony, he saw a familiar looking man, Giovanni.

Giovanni smiled as his eyes caught sight of Kenta. He got up from the chair he was sitting on and approached the railings, where he rested his arms on as he spoke to the boy. "Welcome to the Viridian Gym, Kenta."

Kenta smiled back. "I'm still surprise that you're a Gym Leader, Giovanni."

"Well, you'll be seeing me more often, you know," Giovanni replied. "So I take it that you've decided on my offer?"

"Yes, I have," Kenta replied. "I've been thinking about it the whole night, and even discussed it with my mother. After all that, I've decided that I'll take up your offer." His hand rested on his Pokéballs as he continued with a smile. "My Pokémon were waiting for me. They've been waiting for me to get back into battling. So I won't disappoint them any longer, I will become a Trainer once more."

Giovanni's smile seemed to have widened in satisfaction as he clapped his hands. "That's the spirit! Kenta, under my training, I am sure that you'll be a force to be reckon with once you step back into the world of Pokémon battling."

Then, he reached for his suit, where he pulled out a Pokéball. Then, he released the Pokémon inside of it, his Rhydon. As the Drill Pokémon let out a roar, Giovanni said. "Kenta, before I begin training you, I would like to see how you would do when you're up against another Trainer. That way, I will be able to train you properly. So if you don't mind, send out one of your Pokémon."

Kenta nodded, going through his mind as he tried to remember whatever he can about Rhydon. _"Rhydon's a Ground and Rock Type. The only reasonable thing to do in this battle is to send out Argus since he's a Grass Type,"_ he thought as he reached for Argus's Pokéball. "Argus, let's go!"

As the Seed Pokémon emerged from his capsule, Kenta knelt down and petted the Bulbasaur's head as he spoke to Giovanni. "I'll be using Argus. This will be my first official battle since giving up, so I want it to be with my newest Pokémon."

"I see," Giovanni said. "Though challenging Rhydon with your Bulbasaur is logical considering the Type advantage it has, it's still really risky for you since your Bulbasaur is still low-leveled. Why don't you try using your other Pokémon?"

"There's no need for that," Kenta replied. "I've already made my decision with them last night. My Pokémon all agreed that Argus gets to battle on my first battle."

"Then I won't stop you," Giovanni said. "Then, shall we begin?" Kenta gave him a nod, which Giovanni returned with a smile as he turned his attention to his Pokémon. "Rhydon, begin with Take Down."

"Argus, stick to what we discussed last night! Go with plan 2, counter with Leech Seed!"

As Rhydon charged towards Argus, the Seed Pokémon fired a seed which had sprouted out from his bulb. The seed made contact with Rhydon's arm, causing vines to sprout out and entangle the Drill Pokémon. Rhydon fell, falling on its front as it felt its energy slowly being drained.

"Going for the offensive this early?" Giovanni asked, confused by Kenta's first move.

The boy smiled. "It was the only way Argus could counter your Rhydon. I remembered that your Rhydon had Hyper Beam, Take Down and Scary Face. But I had no idea of your last Move, so I did some research, an old habit of mine."

"Ah," Giovanni said, now understanding more about the boy. "So you're the kind of Trainer who finds out more about his opponents first instead of charging in blindly with no knowledge. My…what an interesting boy you are. So, what did you find out?"

"To think that your Rhydon knows Horn Drill," Kenta replied. "When I realized that, I figured the only way anyone will be able to win against your Rhydon was to weaken it as soon as possible. So I made some battle plans in case I would have to battle your Pokémon. I'm glad that I still have this habit."

Giovanni smiled. "I see. I knew you had a talent, kid. So show me what kind of plan you have made for battling my Rhydon! Tear down that Leech Seed and use Scary Face!"

The Drill Pokémon complied, grabbing the vines around it and tearing them off its body as it got back up. Rhydon looked towards Argus and growled as it narrowed its eyes on him, giving Argus a look which made Argus shiver in fright.

"Argus, use Growl and follow up with Vine Whip!"

The Bulbasaur shook his head, trying his best to ignore Rhydon's intimidation as he let out a loud cry which made Rhydon lose its focus for a moment, giving Argus the opportunity he needed as his vines emerged from his back, slamming onto Rhydon's body.

Though Argus was low-leveled, Vine Whip was still effective against Rhydon, which caused it to snarl quietly as it shook off the pain it felt from the attack before turning back to Giovanni. "Rhydon, Take Down!"

"Switch to plan 5!" Kenta cried. "Use Vine Whip on its horn and grab it!"

As Rhydon charged towards him, Argus did as he was told, using his vines to grab onto Rhydon's horn. "Now bring it down!" Argus put all of his strength into the attack, succeeding in making Rhydon fall on its side.

"Alright, now use-"

"Hyper Beam," Giovanni interrupted.

Rhydon opened its mouth, allowing a familiar orange sphere to form. Then, it released its Hyper Beam at Argus, who had no chance to dodge. The Seed Pokémon took the full hit of Hyper Beam, sending him flying pass Kenta as he slammed into the wall behind his Trainer.

Kenta turned around, shocked by the sudden attack which he had not anticipated. His eyes widened as he spotted Argus lying on the floor, completely unconscious from the Hyper Beam he had took. "Argus!" Kenta ran over to his Pokémon and picked him up in his arms before returning him to his capsule. "I'm sorry that our first official battle together was a loss, Argus. Our opponent is the strongest Gym Leader in Kanto after all."

Giovanni stretched out his hand, returning Rhydon to its capsule before keeping it in his suit. He gave the boy a smile and spoke. "I may not have known what kind of plans you had prepared, Kenta. But to be honest, you're the only one who has lasted this long against it."

"Huh?"

The Viridian Gym Leader leapt over the railings, landing on the ground before he approached Kenta. He placed a hand on his shoulder and continued. "You see, Kenta, many Trainers who have come to challenge this Gym have never been able to conquer it. That is because they could never last more than two Moves from my Rhydon. You on the other hand, have managed to keep your Bulbasaur standing longer than others, which is already an impressive feat."

"As expected, just like in Dewford, I underestimated your Pokémon," Kenta sighed.

"It is I who underestimated your Pokémon," Giovanni replied. "To think that my Rhydon was almost cornered by a Bulbasaur. You are truly a gifted boy, Kenta. No doubt, you would make a fine protégé. Isn't that right, Dr. Namba?"

Kenta looked over to his left, where Giovanni was looking at. There, he noticed an elderly scientist walking towards them with a grin on his face. He stopped in front of them and spoke. "Indeed, sir. As expected of you to bring in a strong recruit."

"Who's he?" Kenta asked.

"Kenta, allow me to introduce Dr. Namba, a close friend and colleague of mine," Giovanni said. "Just like Professor Oak, Dr. Namba here also researches Pokémon. But he specializes in different areas compared to Oak."

Dr. Namba stretched his hand out towards Kenta. "It's nice to meet you, my boy." As Kenta returned the handshake, the scientist turned to Giovanni. "So, when does the boy begin?"

"Right now," Giovanni replied, smirking as he turned back to the boy. "Kenta, follow us."

It didn't took them long as they reached the roof of the Gym, where a helicopter was already waiting for them. Dr. Namba was the first on the flying vehicle, followed by Giovanni and Kenta. The scientist turned towards the pilot, giving him a nod before the helicopter rose off the roof, flying off towards a direction Kenta had no knowledge of.

"So, Dr. Namba, what do you think of our new recruit from the battle we had?" Giovanni asked, placing his hand on the boy's shoulder.

Dr. Namba grinned. "I'd say that the boy's talent will come in handy, if we pair him up with another recruit that will complement his talent. Of course, we'll also have to train his Pokémon as well. I'm sure Drill Sergeant Viper will know what to do. It would probably take him a year or two before the boy can really help out."

Kenta, feeling confused, turned to Giovanni. The man seemed to have understood his feelings and spoke. "You will be sent for training, Kenta. Before you can begin as my protégé, you will have to first meet the requirements to become an agent of Team Rocket."

"Team Rocket?" Kenta repeated, raising an eyebrow.

"Besides being the Viridian Gym Leader, I am also the leader of my organization, Team Rocket," Giovanni replied. "And before you ask what Team Rocket is, we are an organization that serves to train young Pokémon Trainers such as yourself to reach new heights."

Hearing this, Dr. Namba almost choked on his own saliva. He gave Giovanni a puzzled look, which was returned with a wink from Giovanni, which to the scientist meant that he will explain it to him later. He turned to the boy, who seemed to have believed the fake goal that Giovanni had said and snickered quietly as he looked out of the helicopter.

"So are there other people you'll be training?" Kenta asked.

"There will be," Giovanni replied. "But I won't be the one who'll train you just yet. You'll be trained by Drill Sergeant Viper, a personal friend of mine who also works for me in Team Rocket. When we reach our destination, you will soon meet him. I hope you'll get along with his personality, because you'll be seeing his face for a year."

"Is that how long the training will be?"

Giovanni shrugged. "It really depends on you. If you were to excel in the training, you will be made an agent almost instantly. That happens in every training for a handful. But if you can't, then it will really be a year. But I'm sure you'll be one of the handful that will make it early. After all, you will be my protégé, so you'll have to give it your all."

Kenta nodded. "If it means that I'll be better than who I was three years ago, then I'm willing to go all out with my Pokémon in this training!"

"That's an attitude I like to see in recruits and agents," Giovanni smiled. "If only most of the agents I already have were just like you. That's why you're my future protégé. Work hard, Kenta. The rewards will be sweet once you are promoted to agent."

"We've reached our destination, sir," Dr. Namba said.

The two looked out of the helicopter, where Kenta spotted a campus that was in the middle of a rocky terrain. The campus consisted of two buildings, one large one while the other was slightly smaller. From the air, Kenta was able to see that the larger building had a training field at the back, meaning that it was probably the main building while the other was still a mystery to him but he shrugged it off.

As the helicopter landed on the campus, Giovanni opened the helicopter's side doors, allowing him and Kenta to get off while Dr. Namba remained, where they were greeted by a man who donned a black formal uniform which had a red 'R' on the front and a purple Mohawk.

The man gave a salute to Giovanni. "Welcome back to the Team Rocket Academy, sir." Then, he noticed Kenta standing beside him. "Is this the recruit you've told me about, sir?"

"That is right, Viper," Giovanni replied, his hand rubbing the boy's hair. "For now, you'll be in charge of training Kenta to become a suitable agent, and of course, my protégé. I'm sure your training program won't disappoint me."

Viper nodded. "The agents I've trained before have never failed you, sir. I don't expect this boy to fail either. After all, to be selected by you is already an honor most Trainer would never receive. By the time I'm done with him, you won't even recognize who he is."

"Then I'll entrust the boy to you," Giovanni smiled, turning back towards the helicopter. "Kenta, show me your resolve. I believe you'll make it through the training. I'll be awaiting your report once the training begins. Best of luck, lad."

"I won't disappoint you, Giovanni!" Kenta said.

He received another smile from the Viridian Gym Leader as he watched Giovanni's helicopter lift off the ground, flying away from the campus, back towards Viridian City.

"So, mind telling me why you told the boy about Team Rocket being an organization that helps Trainers?" Dr. Namba asked.

Giovanni simply chuckled. "The boy will benefit us greatly, Dr. Namba. He seems to care a lot about his Pokémon to the extent that he tries to come up plans to use against his opponents without harming his own Pokémon."

"That doesn't answer my question though," the scientist said.

"All you need to know is that the boy doesn't know our true goal," Giovanni replied. "As long as he is kept in the dark about it, he will bring glory to Team Rocket and help us expand our control over Kanto and maybe even Johto."

Dr. Namba seemed to be a little puzzled by this. "But what will you do when he finds out about it from the other trainees? It's not like they share the same belief as the boy and they'll probably blab out the truth to him. And surely you won't waste your time telling every single agent you have about lying to him."

"I've told Viper of such a scenario," Giovanni said. "He has informed me that he has a way to keep Kenta away from the truth about Team Rocket. Actually, he has two ideas. The first idea would be to expel any of the trainees who he thinks would blab about it. The second idea he had was to use the Hypno I have given him and try to hypnotize the boy, brainwashing him to believe in Team Rocket's goal."

Dr. Namba remained silent for a few moments, thinking through about the ideas Giovanni had said and he spoke. "Knowing Viper, I'm pretty sure he'll go with the second one. He's already busy with planning the training program and paper works, I don't think he'll bother wasting time on getting rid of trainees, especially those he thinks has the potential to become agents."

"We'll just have to see then."

"The boss sure is busy with his Gym Leader career," Viper said as he turned to Kenta. "So, Kenta. I've heard a lot of good things about you from Giovanni. And from the looks of Dr. Namba, he seemed to have approve of you as well."

Kenta smiled, knowing that the two had faith in him, but his smile faded when he saw that Drill Sergeant Viper was not done. "However, despite the boss's words, I'll have to see it with my own eyes, through this training. But before that, I will need to evaluate your fitness as well as your Pokémon."

"Alright," said the boy as he brought all three of his Pokéballs out. "Semira, Aedus, Argus, come on out!" As the three Pokémon emerged from their capsules, he gave Viper a smirk. "What do you think of them?"

Viper narrowed his eyes at the three Pokémon, mostly at Semira and Aedus, before he turned to Kenta. "I must say, I wasn't surprised to see a Bulbasaur. But to think that I get to see Hoenn Pokémon as well was unexpected. From the looks of them though, I can tell you've been keeping them well-groomed and healthy."

The three Pokémon smiled, returning back to their capsules as Kenta asked. "So, where do we go for my fitness evaluation?"

"Eager, are you?" Viper chuckled. "We could use agents like you. Anyway, since you came here from Giovanni's personal helicopter, I'm sure you've seen the training field at the back." Kenta nodded and the Drill Sergeant continued. "That will be where you'll have the evaluation. First, you'll have to follow me to get your gear for it."

As they entered the main building, Kenta couldn't help but feel amazed at the interior of the infrastructure. Besides the potted plants that were all over the place, he could see that the place also had multiple rooms. They passed by the first room, where Kenta figured would be a room for leisure, considering the couches and television. Another he passed by was the building's Training room and another was a Locker room.

After reaching an elevator, they went up to the top floor, which was the sixth. The elevator's door slide opened, and Viper walked out with Kenta following close behind. There was only one door on the sixth floor, which was at the end of the corridor and it was Viper's office.

They reached the office and Viper opened the door, entering the room and turning towards Kenta. "Stay out here. I'll just grab your training attire and hand it to you. Make sure to meet me in the training field once you're done and be quick. The other trainees should be done with their assignments soon."

A few minutes went by for the boy and soon, Viper emerged with the attire, handing it to Kenta as they made their way back to the elevator. They went back to the first floor, where Kenta ran towards the Locker room that he saw while Viper headed in the direction of the training field.

The boy made a quick change of clothes, putting on the red Team Rocket attire and stuffed his clothes into his backpack. Then, he made his way out of the Locker room and headed down the path which Viper had took minutes ago.

Once he made his way to the end of the corridor, he came across a door which opened, revealing Viper standing with his arms folded and his eyes staring at Kenta. The boy ran out of the building, entering the training field as Viper smiled. "Looks like I can trust you to keep track of time."

"So what will I be doing in the evaluation?" Kenta asked.

Viper pointed towards the training field and replied. "You'll have to finish the course with a minimum mistakes of at least three. On the track, you'll have to overcome hurdles, hidden sinkholes, barbed wires, and jump a wall. If you can clear these, you'll be in the training program immediately. You will begin when I give the command."

Kenta walked towards the starting line, where he crouched, positioning himself as he took a deep breath. Little did Viper knew, Kenta was quite athletic. After all, spending time with his father in the Safari Zone every once a week had made him resistant to fatigue and exhaustion, most of the time.

"On your mark…" Viper said, raising a gun up. "Get set…GO!" He pulled the trigger, firing the gun towards the sky as Kenta sprinted off towards the hurdles.

He smiled, feeling the familiar sense of excitement he used to have. To him, running had almost become second nature to him. It was like he was meant for it, just like his father once said. As he approached the first hurdle, he pushed his feet off the ground, jumping over the first hurdle with ease. Crossing it, he landed with his hands and feet touching the track before he continued on.

Viper watched him with a raised eyebrow. When he saw the boy jumped the first hurdle, he shrugged it off, seeing as many agents before Kenta had also did such a jump. But when the boy had landed, he found it surprising. Usually, people would land with their first leg, followed by the other. However, Kenta had done a different way. Landing on all fours was a strange way for him to 'stick the landing'. But he ignored it, seeing as he couldn't judge the boy from just the jump.

After clearing the remaining five hurdles in the same manner, Kenta dashed forward to reach his next obstacle. Unfortunately, all he saw was a straight path towards the barbed wires. Kenta knew that the sinkholes were close. After all, Viper did say that the sinkholes were hidden.

It didn't take long for Kenta to find it though. As he took a few more steps, he felt the ground beneath his right foot gave way. Thanks to his instincts, he was able to avoid it, only to fall into the next sinkhole. He crashed on his side, groaning as he struggled to get out of the sinkhole.

"First mistake, kid!"

Kenta gritted his teeth as he climbed out of the sinkhole. "This could be slightly troubling…" He muttered as he dusted himself. Kenta placed a foot in front and pressed it against the ground. Feeling that it was stable, he continued on. Then, another sinkhole appeared as soon as he took the next step. He backed away, surprised by this as he looked around at the track.

"Now I get it," Kenta muttered, now realizing a pattern in the sinkholes. It was a zig-zag pattern. With that in his mind, Kenta made the jump, going across each of the supposed position of the sinkholes, which he seemed to get a nod from Viper who was still observing him.

The barbed wires were next. Getting onto the ground, Kenta began crawling through the wires, hoping not to get cut by them. Of course, this was the easiest part of the course for him. Kenta got up, heaving a sigh as he made his way towards the last obstacle, the wall.

"Get across that wall and that will be the end of the evaluation!" Viper reminded.

Kenta simply nodded to him as he picked up his pace, sprinting towards the wall. Then, with the last of his energy, he leapt off the ground and stretched his hands out to reach for the wall. Pulling himself up, he crossed the wall and landed back on the ground. Once more, he landed on all fours.

Panting slightly, he made his way back to Viper, who folded his arms and gave a satisfied smile as he looked towards the boy. "Well, I have to say, other than the weird landings you kept on doing, you're actually one of the few fittest recruits we have at the Team Rocket Academy. Although you did make a mistake at the sinkholes, I can forgive that since not everyone can get pass that without falling in at least once."

"Does that mean…"

Viper nodded, already knowing what Kenta was asking. "Yes, recruit. Welcome to the Team Rocket Academy.".


End file.
